Charles Barkley was never really that fit. You don’t get a nickname like “the Round Mound of Rebound” if you’re rocking a six pack. However, in his interview with Bill Simmons for the premier episode of Any Given Wednesday, Barkley insisted that he was actually in pretty good shape for most of his career, and that he only got fat to spite the Houston Rockets.

“The only year that I was fat was my last year in Houston, because they had promised me $12 million,” Barkley explained. “When I showed up, the contract was only for $8 million. And I said, ‘What happened to my other $4 million?’ They said, ‘Well, we just decided to keep it.’”

That sounds a bit apocryphal to me. But sure, okay Chuck. Do go on.

“They said, ‘We need you to take a pay cut so we can sign Scottie [Pippen].’ I would love to play with Scottie. They said, ‘We’ll give you $12 million next year.’ So when I showed up the next year, they bring me a contract, and I said, ‘This looks like an 8.’ They’re like, ‘We’re gonna give you $8 million.’ And I said, ‘What about the other $4 million?’ They’re like, ‘Well, we just changed our mind.’”